Ancient Empires

From the music, theater, and mythology of Ancient Greece, to traditional music of Chinese and Arab cultures, to the lore of Arthurian England, discover past and present civilizations through their arts.

Interactive

City Dionysia: The Ancient Roots of Modern Theater

Designed to support high school studies of theater, literature and world history, this site leads students though the development of Ancient ideas and contemporary theater practice, then on to write and stage their own original play while demonstrating an understanding of the rules and structure of Greek tragedy.

Audio Series

Music of Greece: Past is Present

Discover how incomplete fragments of papyrus and stone can provide clues to recreating music that has not been heard in thousands of years, explore the far-reaching influence that ancient Greece has had on modern music, and experience the numerous cultural and historical influences that have contributed to the music of today’s Greece.

Lesson

Greek Mythology: Cultures and Art

Gain insight into Greek culture and make aesthetic, perceptual, creative, and intellectual connections to contemporary culture by creating and painting mythological characters.

Lesson

Acropolis, Parthenon East Side, Athens, Greece from the Carpenter Collection, ca. 1890-1930

Unearthing Ancient Greece

Students will discover that what we know of ancient Greece has come to us mainly through the analysis of artifacts recovered in archeological digs.

Lesson

Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia.

From Greece to Main Street

Students will learn defining elements of classical Greek architecture by comparing the Lincoln Memorial with the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Lesson

Deep Roots of Ancient Greece

This lesson examines specific areas of ancient Greek influence on Western thought and culture.

Lesson

Hercules Fighting The Centaur Nessus by Giambologna

The Far Reaches of Greek Culture

This lesson is designed to help students shape a frame of reference for examining specific areas of ancient Greek influence on Western thought and culture.

Video Series

Jason and the Argonauts

This video series explores a dramatic interpretation of the Greek myth Jason and the Argonauts.

Lesson

Inspired by Muses, Graces and Fates

Muses of ancient Greece inspired poets, playwrights, dancers, actors, musicians, and scientists. Graces added life to a party and the Fates determined a life’s destiny.

Lesson

Interpreting Mythology Through Dance

In this lesson, students learn about Ancient Egyptian rituals and attitudes about death and the afterlife.

Audio Series

Sounds of China

Chinese music dates back thousands of years and sounds different from Western music thanks to important differences in tone, musical scale, pitch, instrumentation and individual instruments. With instruments crafted from a wide variety of materials, including, bamboo, silk, gourd, clay and stone—-and played in a diverse range of styles, from single voices to richly melodic orchestral pieces--Chinese music is as varied as the people who create it.

Audio Series

Arabesque: Music of the Arab World

A 3-part audio series that explores different aspects of Arab music: the musical instruments of the Arab World; what makes Arab music unique; and the styles of music in the Arab World.

Lesson

Castles & Cornerstones

This lesson will explore the historic importance and function of castles in King Arthur's time and introduce students to a general history of castles and architectural terms.

Lesson